The instant invention relates to toys, and more particularly to an electronic toy figure that generates sound responsive to manual manipulation of the toy.
Toy figures that generate a predetermined word string or sound upon actuation of a switch are well known in the art. Typically, once the switch is actuated the toy will execute a program and an entire sound sequence or word string will be generated responsive to the single input, i.e. change of state, from the switch. Toy figures which segment the sound elements into smaller elements and require repeated switch inputs to force the toy to continue to output the sound are also known in the art. In this regard, the Truchsess U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,381 is the closest prior art to the subject invention of which the applicant is aware. Truchsess discloses a toy figure which sings a nursery song when bounced. The toy figure includes a sound generator which stores a sequence of sound elements that, when sequentially generated, form a song. The rump area of the doll is provided with a contact switch which is connected to the sound generator and when the toy figure is repeatedly bounced on its rump the switch repeatedly changes state generating the sequential output of the sound elements.
While the existing toy design is particularly effective and amusing for younger children having only gross motor skills, the toy is not particularly engaging for older children who have better developed fine motor skills. Accordingly, there is a perceived consumer demand for new and improved toys which require more moderately sophisticated user input and which function in new amusing ways.